How to spot a fake GBA cartridge

The label

• An authentic label carries the game logo, the Nintendo logo, the Official Nintendo Seal, a rating mark and the product code. Anything missing is a red flag (PAL carts use a different seal design — that is normal).
• Check the product code matches the region: it ends in USA, EUR, JPN and so on. A fake PAL Mario Kart: Super Circuit has been seen ending in “NEU6” instead of “EUR”.
• Genuine labels have a small code stamped into the right-hand edge. Its meaning isn’t documented, it can wear off, and some reproductions stamp one too — so treat it as one clue, not proof.
• Fake labels are often duller, with blurry printing, off colours or spelling mistakes. Every “Nintendo” on the label should carry a trademark symbol.

The shell

• The front thumb grip is embossed with a bold “GAME BOY ADVANCE”. A wrong font, overly deep lettering or a tiny arrow are warning signs.
• The back has a rectangle with the Nintendo logo, “MODEL NO. AGB-002” and “PAT. PEND. MADE IN JAPAN”. These are easy to copy, but misspellings such as “Nintondo” have been seen on fakes.
• Authentic GBA cartridges are held together by a single tri-wing screw. Any other screw is suspicious.
• Colour: Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald use dark translucent red, blue and green shells; FireRed and LeafGreen are brighter, more opaque red and green. A FireRed that looks orange is suspect. Most other games use plain grey.
• Fakes often fit together badly: gaps between the halves, or a label that peels at the edges.

The circuit board

• Board codes: Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald use AGB-E05-01; FireRed and LeafGreen use AGB-E02-20 or AGB-E02-30.
• Most fakes use a black epoxy blob (“glob top”) over the chip, which genuine carts almost never do. Stacked boards, stickers or hand-written marks inside are also bad signs.
• Batteries: only Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald have a battery, for the real-time clock — FireRed and LeafGreen don’t. A battery inside a game like Mario Kart almost certainly means a fake.

Booting and saving

• Some fakes show “The previous save file will be loaded. The game can be played.” on boot; a genuine game goes straight to its save menu.
• Saves that take an extra second, fail, or vanish are typical of fakes.
• Pokémon test: put the GBA cart in an original DS with a genuine fourth-generation Pokémon game. A “Migrate from…” option appears only with authentic carts.
• If Ruby, Sapphire or Emerald says “The internal battery has run dry”, that means the clock battery needs replacing — it does not mean the cart is fake, and saves are not lost.

Which games are faked most

Every guide puts the third-generation Pokémon games — Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed and LeafGreen — first. Fakes of popular games such as Mario Kart: Super Circuit and Final Fantasy IV Advance are common too, and bootlegs of fan translations and ROM hacks often reuse FireRed or Ruby shells.

The easiest reference is a clear picture of the genuine label. Every game page has label scans for each regional edition you can compare against.

Pokémon Emerald Version · Pokémon FireRed Version · Pokémon Ruby Version · Mario Kart: Super Circuit